Comments for College Age Daughter Wants to Go on SOLO road trip

I would be concerned about letting my college age child go on a road trip as well. That said, at some point, you have to let your child "leave the nest' and learn how to trust their instincts because this is how they develop their radar about the kind of people to stay away from.

Talk to your daughter about trusting her instincts and share some stories from your life about the times that you misjudged someone's character and the outcome this had. Play out "what if" scenarios to get an idea of how your daughter would handle different people and scenarios.

Encourage your daughter to invite a friend along, even if the friend flies in and just goes on part of the trip. Create a system where your daughter checks in at pre-established times or points along the way.

If handled properly, this road trip could be an exercise in letting go for you and in independence for your daughter. Of course, if you feel that she is too trusting or naive or just not mature enough, then continue to discourage the idea. If you own the car that she will be driving or if you have to give her money for the trip, then ultimately, the decision about the road trip is still yours.